Folding box



A ril 4, 1944. R. J. GRUENBERG ETAL FOLDING BOX Filed April 11, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TOR. GEUENBEEG' L. Suva/v lPAouL J 00m? ATTORNEY April 1944' R. J. GRUENBERG ETAL 2,345,810

FOLDING BOX Filed April 11 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .f INVENTOR.

EAouL J GEUENBERG 50cm? L. STE/2N ATTORNEY IFQMWIING 'IBQX lltsouli .ll. Gruenberg, Sen Francisco, cull Edger Stern ll osedeito, iiialit.

Application April llll will, Serial No. 338,132;

d Gimme.

This invention relates to ioldine boxes and more psrticulerly to pre-iolded end glued cordboard bones.

Among the objects of the invention is the pro vision of 9. box in this class adapted to be blsnleed, glued, folded, and collapsed by machines now available for the purpose of fabricating this class oi boxes.

Another object is to design the corners of the box: so that it is maintained in both the closed and the open condition by the iiiterrelution oi. the certs end the tension oi? the folded blank the bore.

object is to so errenge the interrele= tlon of. st the comers that the open bot; will provide the required degree of resistance to crushing stresses.

further object is the provision of e smooth eiitemel corner structure without obstructive pro jectlons.

.ther objects end edveuteges will cppeer es description progresses.

in this specificstlon and the accompanying drawings the invention is disclosed in its preierred form. But is to be understood, however, that it is not limited to this form, because it may be embodied in modifications within the spirit or the invention as defined in the claims following the description.

In the two sheets oi drawings:

1 is it plain view of a box blunt: cut end St accordance with this invention.

ills. is o. similar view of one end of the same with the sides and attaching flaps folded inward on the bottom and the end respectively.

Fig. 3 is e, similar view of e modiilcetion in which the attaching tabs are not folded heels on the scorelines.

is e similar view showing. the end essocioterl corner ports folded over the ends of the sides. I

Fig". 5 is a fragmentary detail in diagrammatic perspective looliing intothe C01 oer of the box,

the erecting movement.

Fig. 6 is e fragmentary detail in feorit eleve tlon oil e. corner of the open box, viewed from the ihsicle.

Fig. l is similar view, of the some, viewed from the outside.

it is 2. vertical section of the some taken e line VHI- VIH, Fig. l.

9 is top view of the corner of the erected boil showing the interrelation of ports when folded in accordance with the modification shown in if. 3.

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in detail the construction illustrated in the drawings, referring first to Fig. 1, comprises the blank ll composed of any suitable paper stock out to the desired rectangular proportions recarding length and width. This blank is provided with the longitudinal creases 2 and 3, preferably extending in line with the grain of the stock from end to end of the blank and spaced inwardly from the long edges as distance equal to the desired depth of the box. The transverse crosses and ii terminate at the longitudinal creases and together they define the bottom area oi the box, and the folding lines of the sides and ends.

@cllneer with the transverse creases l, 5, the tour margins of the blonls are severed by the open cuts i, ll, t, leaving the end flaps ill, Ii, l2, l3, hinged to the box ends it, it by the mergliml extensions of the longitudinal creases 3, 3'.

Since all the end. flops are alike in structure only one will be described in detail. Each flap hes e longitudinal transverse cut it therein terminating with the angular slit ll directed inword of the body of the flap. The crease l8 extends engulerly at about 45 degrees from the juncture of the cuts it, ill to the outer corner of the flop, see Fig. 1.

Each of the ends of the sides It, fill, has a out such es 2i, extending from the juncture of the bottom creases 2, 4i, at an angle of about 48 degrees more or less, outward into the body of the sides. Each side also has a out such as 22, spaced slightly inward from and parallel with the cut it, and substantially at right angles to the cuts 6, ll, ll, ii, which strips out or removes a triangular otch portion such as 23, from the ends of the sides ill, lit, the hypotenuse being the line of the cut it. This hypotenuse line 2| terminates with o slit t l at a slight angles to the line ill.

The product of this invention is adapted to be glue tipped and prefolded in automatic machines now available in the art, such as the patent to tlldebottom issued March 22, 1938, Number 2,212,121 end assigned to Specialty Automatic Machine Company.

in such machines the blanks l are stacked and fed singly into the machine. The adhesive areas are indicated by stippling. In passing through the machine the sides it, it are folded inwardly above the bottom and the flaps In -l3 are folded inwardly over the ends i l, I 5 respectively on the creases 2, 3. These ends M, W are then folded inwardly so that said ends and flaps overlie the ends C of said sides It, 20, and the upper tabs 13 are attached to the outer sides of the sides I9, 20, and the inner corners A overlie the notches, such as 23.

Further progress through the prefolding machine carries the now folded and interlocking ends beneath rollers or other pressure means to press the tabs A against the outer surfaces of the sides [9, 20 of the box to cause a close and permanent adhesion of the tabs with the sides. Obviously the adhesive can be applied either to the tabs, or to the registering portion of the sides. stapling or any other suitable means of attachment can be substituted for the adhesive.

In the intermediate condition shown in Fig. 5, the parts A and C are under bending stresses until the erecting is completed. In opening the box this intermediate moment of stress must be passed while the edges of the tabs A slide along the inner plane of the bottom I, and the glued tabs B bend at the creases such as l8. This causes the box to snap to the open position shown in Figs. 6, 7, 8. This opening of the prefolded box. is accomplished by manuallygrasping the edges of the sides 19 and 20 and swinging them upwardly on the hinge creases 2, 3.

In the open position shown in Fig. 6, it will be noted that the lower edges of the tabs A bear 'against the bottom of the box and the ends of the tabs C bear against the ends l4, l respectively. The pressure of the contacts at these points interposes frictional resistance against the return of the box to the prefolded condition and gives vertical stability to the several corners of the open box. The angular slits I1, 24 facilitate the straddling and interlocking of the parts A, C and permit a yielding of the center areas of the flaps and sides to accommodate the overlapping at D, see Fig. 8. While only two thicknesses of the sides and ends 19, and l4, l5 are interlocked, the stabilizing effect of three overlapped thicknesses A, B, C results, as seen above and below the point D in Fig. 8.

Certain of the available automatic folding machines have different modes of operation. Forinstance it may be desirable not to fold the tab Ba: inwardly as shown in the modification in Figs. 3, 9, so that the adhesion of the glued parts may be accomplished between the outer surface of the upper tabs Ba: and C2, instead of the inside of the tab B against the outside of the sides 18, 20 as previously described in the preferred form. The tabs B can be folded in either direction on the creases 18 without changing the structure of the blank I, or departing from the spirit of the invention.

The size and shape or the notches 23, and the placement of the cuts and slits such as l8, ll, 24 can be variedby those skilled in the art to meet the requirements of certain folding machines without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Havin claimed and 1. A prefolded box composed of a blank having longitudinal creases extending from end to end thereof and transverse creases extending between said longitudinal creases and defining the bottom, sides and ends of the box; the sides and ends being severed from each other in substantial alinement with said transverse creases and forming thus described this invention what is desired to secure by Letters Patent of severance between said sides and ends, respectively, said cuts being substantially parallel with said longitudinal creases and forming tabs on said flaps; said cuts in the ends of said sides forming triangular notches therein with the hypotenuses of said triangles extending outwardly from'the approximate comers of said bottom toward the inner ends of said cuts in said sides, respectively; said flaps having creases therein directed from the corners of said blank toward the respective corners of said bottom.

2. A prefolded box composed of a blank having longitudinal creases extending from end to end thereof and transverse creases extending between said longitudinal creases and defining the bottom, sides and ends of the box; the sides and ends being severed from each other in substantial alinement with said transverse creases and forming flaps on said ends foldable on said longitudinal creases; said flaps and the contiguous sides each having cuts extending thereinto from said lines of severance between said sides and ends respectively, said cuts being slightly offset with respect to each other and substantially parallel with said longitudinal creases and forming tabs on said flaps; said cuts in the endsof said sides forming triangular notches therein with the hypotenuses of said triangles extending outwardly from the approximate corners of said bottom toward the inner ends of said cuts in said sides, respectively;

said flaps having creases therein directed from the corners of said blank toward the respective corners of said bottom.

3. A prefolded box composed of a blank having longitudinal creases extending from end to end thereof and transverse creases extending between said longitudinal creases and defining the bottom, sides and ends of the box; the sides and ends being severed from each other in substantial alinement with said transverse creases and form- I ing flaps on said ends foldable on said longitudinal creases extending beyond the said bottom; said flaps and the ends of the contiguous sides each having cuts extending thereinto" from said lines of severance between said sides and ends, respectively, said cuts being substantially parallel with said longitudinal creases and forming tabs on said flaps; said cuts in the ends of said sides forming triangular notches therein with the hypotenuses of said triangles extending outwardly from the approximate corners of said bottom toward the inner ends of the cuts in said sides, respectively; said flaps having creases therein directed from the comers of said blank toward the inner ends of the cuts in said flaps respectively; whereby the inner corner portions of said flaps pass inwardly through said notches and said tabs overlie and engage said sides when said sides and ends are folded inwardly toward said bottom.

4. A prefolded box composed of a blank havin longitudinal creases extending from end to end thereof, and transverse creases extending between said longitudinal creases and defining the bottom, sides and ends of the box; the sides and 0! ends being severed from each other in substantial flaps on said ends foldable on said ongitudinal the contiguous sides each creases; said flaps and thereinto from said lines having cuts extending alinement with said transverse creases and forming flaps on said ends foldable on said longitudi- V nal creases extending beyond said bottom; said flaps and the ends of the contiguous sides having cuts extending thereinto from said lines of severance between said sides and ends, respectively,-

said cuts being substantially parallel with said longitudinal creases and terminating in slits at an angle thereto and forming tabs on said flaps; the cuts in the ends of said sides forming triangular notches therein with the hypotenuses of said triangles extending outwardly from the approximate corners of said bottom toward the inner ends of the cuts in said sides, respectively: said flaps having creases therein directed from the corners of said blank toward the corners of said bottom respectively; whereby the inner corner portions of said flaps pass inwardly through said notches and said tabs overlie and engage said sides when said sides and ends are folded inwardly toward said bottom.

' 5. A prefolded box composed of a blank having longitudinal creases extending from end to end thereof, and transverse creases extending between said longitudinal creases and defining the bottom, sides and ends of the box; the sides and ends being severed from each other in substantial alinement with said transverse creases and forming flaps on said endsfoldable on said longitudinal creases extending beyond said bottom; said flaps and the ends or the contiguous sides each having cuts extending thereinto from said lines of severance between said sides and ends and substantially parallel with said longitudinal creases, each cut terminating in a slit at an angle thereto and forming tabs on said flaps; the cuts in the ends of said sides forming triangular notches therein with the hypotenuses of said triangles extending outwardly from the approximate corners of said bottom toward the inner ends of the cuts in said sides, respectively; whereby the inner corner portions of said flaps extend in- 3 wardly' through said notches and rest upon the bottom, and said tabs overlie and engage said sides and the ends of said sides contact said ends when the box is erected.

6. A preiiolded box composed oi.a blank having longitudinal creases extending from end to end thereof and transverse creases extending between said longitudinal creases and defining the bottom sides and ends of the box; the sides and ends being severed from each other in substantial alinement with said transverse creases and forming flaps on said ends foldable on said longitudinal creases; said flaps and the contiguous sides each having cuts extending thereinto from said lines of severance between said sides and ends, respectively; said cuts being slightly offset with respect to each other and substantially parallel with said longitudinal creases and forming tabs on said flaps; the cuts in the ends of said sides forming triangular notches therein with the hypotenuses of said triangles extending outwardly from the approximate corners of said bottom toward the inner ends of said cuts in said sides, respectively; said flaps having creases therein directed from the corners of said blank toward the respective corners oi said bottom; with the inner corner portions of said flaps extending through said notches when the sides and ends are folded inwardly toward said bottom and said tabs are attached to said sides.

RAOUL J. GRUENBERG. EDGAR L. STERN. 

